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Th Fa Ngum, City Centre
Vientiane , SOUTH-EAST ASIA
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- Price Range:
Mid-range
- Neighbourhood:
city centre
- Atmosphere:
Retro and Busy
Lonely Planet Review
In the days before the communists came to town, this was the classiest place in Vientiane. Three decades later and it might be time for a face-lift. That said, the retro-cool of its kitsch '70s decoration gives it a socialist-realist feel and it's good value for such a prime riverfront location.
These old socialist-style hotels are on the verge of extinction in Asia thanks to the breakneck pace of development, and when we read about the renovations under way at the Lane Xang we got all nostalgic. We needn't have worried, as this is renovation Lao-style, which means just the bathrooms for the time being. But it is well worth the extra cost to undertake your ablutions with facilities designed this decade and not in the 1970s. All rooms have satellite TV and minibar, and other amenities include a swimming pool, bar, fitness centre, baby cots, sauna and the sort of nightclub that would have Karl Marx turning in his grave. Karl probably wouldn't agree with the capitalist pricing policy, either, as rates in kip are 15% more than those in dollars. Prices include a buffet breakfast.
Review by author Nick Ray
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Author Tip
Hit the hotel nightclub for the authentic Lao experience. Just like the hotel, the backstreet nightclub is a real throwback to another era. Dark, noisy and full of shadowy characters and 'lovely ladies', this is what all Lao nightclubs were like a decade ago. If it's all too much, take a local beer on the banks of the Mekong instead.
Curious Fact
Famous Gonzo journalist Hunter S Thompson stayed here in 1975 just before the fall of Saigon to the North Vietnamese Army. Realising the war was too hot for his acerbic observations, he flew in to Vientiane for some r'n'r. He would have approved of Paul Theroux's description of the city in The Great Railway Bazaar: 'The brothels are cleaner than the hotels, marijuana cheaper than pipe tobacco and opium easier to find than a glass of cold beer.' For more info on Thompson's misadventures at the Lane Xang Hotel, read The Great Shark Hunt, a collection of his '70s writings.